A California church is alleging local authorities spied and tracked Christian worshippers in an unconstitutional operation that saw the church ordered to pay $1.2 million for defying COVID-19 lockdown orders.

Santa Clara County and Colorado-based data company SafeGraph stand accused of undertaking "an invasive and warrantless geofencing operation to track residents" by Calvary Chapel San Jose and Pastor Mike McClure, according to a lawsuit filed by Advocates for Faith & Freedom and first reported by Fox News.

Geofencing is the use of technology to create virtual geographic boundaries, allowing software to initiate a response when a mobile device enters or exits a specific area.

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Both defendants are accused of using this technology to track Calvary Chapel San Jose worshippers around the church's premises to see when and where they were on the premises.

“This type of expansive geofencing operation is not only an invasion of privacy but represents a terrifying precedent if allowed to go unaddressed,” the complaint states, Reclaim The Net reported. “As it stands, Defendants assert that, as long as they call it research, any level of government can target and spy on any individual or group at any time for any duration.”

A full copy of the complaint was also shared by Reclaim The Net.

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The use of “research” as a defence would effectively place no limits on how governments could use geofencing to track groups or individuals, Advocates for Faith & Freedom asserts. 

“This is not just un-American; it is downright Orwellian,” the group said.

Santa Clara County has declined to comment on the claims, instead referring to a statement from March when spying allegations first surfaced. At that time, a story on Substack by David Zweig first brought forward allegations of the county spying on the church.

"The recent story by David Zweig has at its core false assertions and does not reflect an understanding of basic facts of the county’s public health orders or enforcement program," said the county, Fox News Digital reported in March.

Rebel News detailed the challenges faced by Christian churches in Canada during COVID-19 lockdowns. Church Under Fire: Canada's War on Christianity examines the profound impact lockdowns had on religious freedom in the country.